You know you are doing something right when the devil is on your case?

[sckcd]

My dad always says that you know you are doing something right (spiritually) when the devil is on your case. Well, that’s how I feel now. I am currently feeling a spiritual renewal of sorts and I have been learning a lot about the CC and been attending there as well as my home church. I am considering joining and this will, in theory, unite my family in worship. Reason being, my husband is Catholic but not active in his faith and our 6yo son just began attending the Catholic school as well as Mass with me, and our baby is about to be baptized as well, so if I end up joining the Church then we will all be on the same page. And I think that eventually my husband will get back into church and focus on God more. I have been praying for that to happen and for God to lead me to where I need to be. So… anyway, since this all has come about, coincidentally my husband has been really surly and grouchy towards me, for no specific reason. I am tired of his attitude but I just keep praying and marching forward knowing that God will prevail. Does anyone else believe that the devil purposely tries to meddle with you when you are trying to reach a higher point in your life with something?

 

[Reepicheep]

Oh yes.
May the peace of Christ fill your heart, and your husband’s.

 

[Old_Convert]

Absolutely! In this last year of getting ready to go to the convent, I have had everything from serious illness that required an operation, trouble with me job, and great financial issues as I worked toward becoming debt free. There are 23 more days until I enter, pray for me! I know that God always overcomes the Evil One, but prayer is a great weapon for good.

Lord, keep me safe. You know the two things that remain to be done. Jesus, I trust in you! :nun1:

 

[nova147]

No wonder the devil is after you – you are about to bring four souls into communion with the Church! The devil doesn’t have to work hard for people who are living their life day to day, but when they start to make changes and get closer to God, he has to fight with them! I’m sorry this is a difficult time for you. Perhaps you could discuss with your husband how he feels about your conversion? He may sense that things are going to change in his life and be concerned about how you will act after, kwim? None of us are big fans of change, but I’ve noticed husbands seem to be less so!

 

[DOShea]

hi sckcd,

I think you are doing the right thing. Consider this: if your husband isn’t doing his part, living up to his obligations in helping to teach and be a model of Catholic faith for the kids, he is going to feel guilt about it because he knows it is his obligation. What then would you expect his reaction to be when he observes you giving this obligation so much weight that you would convert your own faith just to ensure it gets done and gets done right? It would be a whole lot easier on his conscience to know he’s not doing it and neither are you. Guilt just loves good company, you know.

So now you’re ratcheted up the heat on him, and in a way sort of underscored his failing of obligation. But don’t be dissuaded by reaction; operate on truth and principle. The truth is that your children ARE going to look at you both as their role models, in life and in faith. You can preach to them all you want, but if you don’t do as you say to do, they will see right through that and grow into adulthood with that concept firmly cemented into their character.

You need only look around you and see the end product of a couple generations of parenting where this sort of obligation was not taken very seriously. Where foundations that worked for hundreds of years were tossed to the wind to follow more modern ideas of catering to feelings first, principles last. It doesn’t work. It leads to confusion and a lack of discernment, the ability to properly judge right from wrong and having an inner compulsion to do right, NOT wrong. If you take the time, when you have it (I know how busy it can be raising little ones) to read some of the Catholic Church social teachings and most importantly, the whys behind them, you get a more firm grasp of why these obligations are so, so important. They are the duct tape that keeps your family bonded together through even the most trying times.

So I applaud you for doing the right thing. Pray for your husband and do what you can to involve him in ways that don’t drag him across the ground glass of guilt. Sometimes when men see this kind of devotion to family going on around them, they simply want in and will change. It cannot be forced, it must come from within. So feed him, spiritually, by good example and lots of prayer, and put the rest in God’s hands.

 

[MarieVeronica]

My dad always says that you know you are doing something right (spiritually) when the devil is on your case. Well, that’s how I feel now. I am currently feeling a spiritual renewal of sorts and I have been learning a lot about the CC and been attending there as well as my home church. I am considering joining and this will, in theory, unite my family in worship. Reason being, my husband is Catholic but not active in his faith and our 6yo son just began attending the Catholic school as well as Mass with me, and our baby is about to be baptized as well, so if I end up joining the Church then we will all be on the same page. And I think that eventually my husband will get back into church and focus on God more. I have been praying for that to happen and for God to lead me to where I need to be. So… anyway, since this all has come about, coincidentally my husband has been really surly and grouchy towards me, for no specific reason. I am tired of his attitude but I just keep praying and marching forward knowing that God will prevail. Does anyone else believe that the devil purposely tries to meddle with you when you are trying to reach a higher point in your life with something?

Dear “sckcd” May God bless you, dear soul! And your family too! :hug1:

I hope that you will remember the words which our late, beloved Holy Father Pope John Paul II echoed so often… in his papacy. “Be Not Afraid”.

Will the enemy get angry, because your family is uniting in the Catholic faith? Mmm. Yeah, probably. Should you CARE? Mmm. NOPE.

We are beloved children of the Most High God! We are disciples of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit is our Advocate! Our Mother is Mary Immaculate! Our brothers and sisters… the Saints! Our protectors… the Angels! We have ALL of Heaven on our side! Jump for joy! And be not afraid!

There is a wonderful account of a vision that St. Teresa of Avila had. She was asleep one night, and suddenly woke to find the devil hovering over her bed. Without batting an eye… or missing a beat… she wryly said… “Oh, it’s only YOU”. Then she rolled over and went back to sleep. She was SO CONFIDENT in God’s love for her… that even this, didn’t ruffle her. Can you imagine the EGO DEFLATING the devil got from St. Teresa that night?

Be NOT afraid! You and your family are LOVED by God! May He bless you, abundantly.

MarieVeronica

 

[flyingfish]

My dad always says that you know you are doing something right (spiritually) when the devil is on your case. Well, that’s how I feel now. I am currently feeling a spiritual renewal of sorts and I have been learning a lot about the CC and been attending there as well as my home church. I am considering joining and this will, in theory, unite my family in worship. Reason being, my husband is Catholic but not active in his faith and our 6yo son just began attending the Catholic school as well as Mass with me, and our baby is about to be baptized as well, so if I end up joining the Church then we will all be on the same page. And I think that eventually my husband will get back into church and focus on God more. I have been praying for that to happen and for God to lead me to where I need to be. So… anyway, since this all has come about, coincidentally my husband has been really surly and grouchy towards me, for no specific reason. I am tired of his attitude but I just keep praying and marching forward knowing that God will prevail. Does anyone else believe that the devil purposely tries to meddle with you when you are trying to reach a higher point in your life with something?

I’m at odds with the other posters here, but I don’t think your husband’s grouchiness is caused by the devil.

Your husband is capable of being “surly and grouchy” without any kind of demonic interference, and I would try to find out what reasons he might have for behaving that way.